WASHINGTON -
NASA stands to receive $1 billion of a $789 billion economic stimulus package
negotiated by House and Senate conferees and headed for a vote in both chambers
as soon as today, congressional sources said.
The
conferees reached a deal Wednesday that reconciles the differences between the House
and Senate versions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The
compromise roughly split the difference between the Senate's proposed $1.3
billion for NASA and the $600 million included in the House version of the
bill.
The
compromise spending plan includes $400 million to
narrow the gap between the planned 2010 retirement of the space shuttle and
the
first flight of its successor. The Senate measure had called for $450
million; the House version included no money for narrowing the gap.
NASA also
would receive the House request of $400 million for Earth science and climate
monitoring projects and $150 million for aeronautics under the compromise.
The Senate had proposed spending $50 million more in each area.
The Senate
bill had included $250 million to repair NASA facilities damaged by Hurricane
Ike last summer, but the measure now headed for vote includes the House
request for $50 million.
NASA's
Inspector General's Office would receive $2 million, a figure that has remained
unchanged from the House and Senate versions of the stimulus package.
NASA's 2008
budget was $17.3 billion. The agency has estimated it would cost an extra $5
billion to extend the space shuttle fleet's service beyond 2010 to about 2012.
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